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Profile | プロフィール

Born / 出身
October 21, 1959 | Koide, Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Age / 年齢
65 years old (as of 2025)

Occupation / 職業
Actor

俳優

Biography | 経歴

[English] Ken Watanabe is a Japanese actor who has achieved international acclaim for his work in both Japanese and Hollywood films. Beginning his career in Japanese theater and television in the 1980s, Watanabe gained domestic fame with the NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune (1987) and became a major star with films like Kizuna (1998). His international breakthrough came with The Last Samurai (2003), earning him an Academy Award nomination and making him one of the few Japanese actors to achieve Hollywood stardom. Known for his dignified presence and powerful performances, Watanabe has appeared in major international productions including Batman Begins (2005), Letters from Iwo Jima (2006), Inception (2010), Godzilla (2014), and The King and I on Broadway (2015, Tony Award nomination). He has won multiple Japanese Academy Awards and is considered one of Japan’s most internationally recognized actors. Watanabe’s career has been marked by his ability to bridge Japanese and Western cinema while maintaining artistic integrity and choosing roles that honor his cultural heritage.

[日本語] 渡辺謙は、日本とハリウッドの両方の映画で国際的な評価を得た日本の俳優です。1980年代に日本の演劇とテレビでキャリアを開始し、NHK大河ドラマ『独眼竜政宗』(1987)で国内的名声を得て、『絆』(1998)などの映画で大スターとなりました。国際的なブレイクスルーは『ラスト サムライ』(2003)で、アカデミー賞ノミネートを獲得し、ハリウッドでスターダムを達成した数少ない日本人俳優の一人となりました。威厳ある存在感と力強い演技で知られ、『バットマン ビギンズ』(2005)、『硫黄島からの手紙』(2006)、『インセプション』(2010)、『GODZILLA ゴジラ』(2014)、ブロードウェイ『王様と私』(2015、トニー賞ノミネート)などの主要な国際作品に出演しています。日本アカデミー賞を複数回受賞し、日本で最も国際的に認知された俳優の一人と考えられています。渡辺のキャリアは、芸術的誠実さを保ちながら日本と西洋の映画を橋渡しし、文化遺産を尊重する役柄を選ぶ能力によって特徴づけられています。

Highlights / 主な歩み:

• 1982: Joined En Gekijo theater company; began professional acting career. / 劇団円に入団。プロの演技キャリアを開始。
• 1984: White leukemia diagnosis; took break from acting. / 急性骨髄性白血病診断。演技活動を休止。
• 1987: Returned to acting; starred in NHK Taiga drama Dokuganryū Masamune; became household name. / 演技活動復帰。NHK大河ドラマ『独眼竜政宗』主演。国民的知名度獲得。
• 1989: Won Japan Academy Award for Umi to Dokuyaku. / 『海と毒薬』で日本アカデミー賞受賞。
• 1998: Starred in Kizuna; major film star status in Japan. / 『絆』主演。日本で映画スターの地位確立。
• 2003: International breakthrough with The Last Samurai; Oscar nomination (Supporting Actor). / 『ラスト サムライ』で国際的ブレイクスルー。アカデミー賞ノミネート(助演男優賞)🌟。
• 2005: Appeared in Batman Begins and Memoirs of a Geisha. / 『バットマン ビギンズ』『SAYURI』出演。
• 2006: Starred in Clint Eastwood’s Letters from Iwo Jima; entirely in Japanese. / クリント・イーストウッドの『硫黄島からの手紙』主演。全編日本語。
• 2010: Played Saito in Christopher Nolan’s Inception; worldwide recognition. / クリストファー・ノーランの『インセプション』でサイトー役。世界的認知。
• 2014: Led Godzilla reboot; first Asian lead in Hollywood blockbuster in decades. / 『GODZILLA ゴジラ』主演。数十年ぶりのハリウッド大作のアジア人主演。
• 2015: Broadway debut in The King and I; Tony Award nomination. / ブロードウェイ『王様と私』デビュー。トニー賞ノミネート🌟。
• 2016: Portrayed Oda Nobunaga in Nobunaga Concerto: The Movie. / 『信長協奏曲 THE MOVIE』で織田信長役。
• 2021: Appeared in HBO Max’s Tokyo Vice; executive producer. / HBO Max『TOKYO VICE』出演。エグゼクティブプロデューサー。

Filmography (Selected) | 主な作品(選抜)

Early Career & Japanese Success / 初期キャリアと日本での成功

International Breakthrough / 国際的ブレイクスルー

Hollywood Stardom / ハリウッドでのスターダム

Continued International Work / 継続的な国際作品

Recent Work / 近年の作品

Theatre Work | 舞台作品

Japanese Theatre:

En Gekijo (1982-present):

• Long-standing member of theater company
• Numerous stage productions
• Classical and contemporary works

Broadway:

Significance:

• Broadway debut at age 55
• First major Asian actor in role since Yul Brynner
• Critical acclaim
• Limited run due to illness
• Replaced by Daniel Dae Kim

Awards & Recognition | 受賞歴

Academy Awards (アカデミー賞)

Nominated (ノミネート):

• Best Supporting Actor – The Last Samurai (2004) 🌟 – First Japanese actor nominated since 1950s

Golden Globe Awards (ゴールデングローブ賞)

Nominated (ノミネート):

• Best Supporting Actor – The Last Samurai (2004) 🌟

Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG)

Nominated (ノミネート):

• Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – The Last Samurai (2004)

Tony Awards (トニー賞)

Nominated (ノミネート):

• Best Actor in a Musical – The King and I (2015) 🌟

Japan Academy Awards (日本アカデミー賞)

Won (受賞): 4 times 🏆🏆🏆🏆

• Best Supporting Actor – Umi to Dokuyaku (1989) 🏆
• Best Actor – Poppoya (2000) 🏆
• Best Actor – Memories of Tomorrow (2007) 🏆
• Best Actor – Kizuna (1999) 🏆

Blue Ribbon Awards (ブルーリボン賞)

Won (受賞):

• Best Actor – Multiple times for Japanese films

Kinema Junpo Awards (キネマ旬報ベスト・テン)

Won (受賞):

• Best Actor – Multiple times

Other Major Honors

• Orders of Culture Medal – Japanese government honor
• Person of Cultural Merit – Japanese government recognition
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association – Best Supporting Actor nom – The Last Samurai
• Satellite Awards – Best Supporting Actor nom – The Last Samurai
• Asian Film Awards – Lifetime achievement recognition

External Links | 外部リンク

• IMDb
• Wikipedia (English)
• Wikipedia (Japanese)